Plasma display apparatus and method of driving the same

Abstract

A plasma display apparatus and a method of driving the same, more particularly to, a plasma display apparatus considering the gray level values of sub-fields and a method of driving the same are provided. The plasma display apparatus controls the magnitudes of reset pulses or the widths of scan pulses in units of sub-fields thereby improving contrast, preventing driving margins from deteriorating, stabilizing discharges and improving. brightness.

1 . A plasma display apparatus comprising: 
 a plasma display panel comprising scan electrodes;    a driver driving the scan electrodes; and    a reset pulse controller controlling the driver to control the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of at least one sub-field among the sub-fields of one frame in accordance with gray level values.    
   
   
       2 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , 
 wherein the magnitudes of the reset pulses have three or more different voltage values, and    wherein the reset pulse controller increases the magnitudes of the reset pulses according as the gray level values of the sub-fields decreases.    
   
   
       3 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the reset pulse controller sets the magnitude of at least one of the reset pulses to be more than twice a sustain voltage.  
   
   
       4 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the magnitudes of the reset pulses are more than twice the sustain voltage in the sub-fields from the sub-field having the lowest number of sustain pulses to the sub-field that comes fourth in the order where the sub-field in which the number of sustain pulses supplied in a sustain period is lowest comes first among the sub-fields of the frame.  
   
   
       5 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the magnitudes of the reset pulses are more than twice the sustain voltage in the sub-fields in which a number of sustain pulses is equal to or less than ½ of the total number of sustain pulses of the sub-field in which the highest number of sustain pulses are supplied in a sustain period are supplied among the sub-fields of the frame.  
   
   
       6 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the magnitudes of the reset pulses are more than twice the sustain voltage in the sub-fields in which a number of sustain pulses is equal to or less than 20% of the total number of sustain pulses of one frame are supplied.  
   
   
       7 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the reset pulse controller sets the magnitude of at least one of the reset pulses to be more than the sustain voltage and less than twice the sustain voltage.  
   
   
       8 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the magnitudes of the reset pulses are more than the sustain voltage and less than twice the sustain voltage in the sub-fields from the sub-field having the highest number of sustain pulses to the sub-field that comes fourth in the order where the sub-field in which the number of sustain pulses supplied in a sustain period is highest comes first among the sub-fields of the frame.  
   
   
       9 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the magnitudes of the reset pulses are more than the sustain voltage and less than twice the sustain voltage in the sub-fields in which a number of sustain pulses is equal to or more than ½ of the total number of sustain pulses of the sub-field in which the highest number of sustain pulses are supplied in a sustain period are supplied among the sub-fields of the frame.  
   
   
       10 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the magnitudes of the reset pulses are more than the sustain voltage and less than twice the sustain voltage in the sub-fields in which a number of sustain pulses is equal to or more than 20% of the total number of sustain pulses of one frame are supplied.  
   
   
       11 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the reset pulse controller makes at least one of the reset pulses fall with a slope after maintaining a positive voltage of a predetermined magnitude.  
   
   
       12 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the magnitude of the positive voltage is equal to the magnitude of the sustain voltage.  
   
   
       13 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the reset pulse controller irregularly arranges the sub-fields comprised in the frame in the order of the magnitudes of the gray level values.  
   
   
       14 . An apparatus for driving a plasma display panel comprising scan electrodes, the apparatus comprising: 
 a driver driving the scan electrodes; and    a reset pulse controller controlling the driver to control the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of at least one sub-fields among the sub-fields of one frame in accordance with gray level values.    
   
   
       15 . A plasma display panel comprising scan electrodes, wherein the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of at least one sub-fields among the sub-fields of one frame are controlled in accordance with gray level values.  
   
   
       16 . A plasma display apparatus comprising: 
 a plurality of scan electrodes; and    controller controlling the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of at least one sub-fields among the sub-fields of one frame in accordance with gray level values.    
   
   
       17 . A plasma display apparatus comprising a plurality of scan electrodes formed in a top surface panel and a driver applying driving pulses to the scan electrodes, wherein the driver controls the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of at least one sub-fields among the sub-fields of one frame in accordance with gray level values.  
   
   
       18 . A method of driving a plasma display apparatus comprising scan electrodes, wherein the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of at least one sub-fields among the sub-fields of one frame are controlled in accordance with gray level values.  
   
   
       19 . A plasma display apparatus comprising: 
 a plasma display panel comprising scan electrodes;    a driver driving the scan electrodes; and    a reset pulse controller controlling the driver to set the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of low gray level sub-fields among the sub-fields of one frame to be more than the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of the remaining sub-fields.    
   
   
       20 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the reset pulse controller sets the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of the low gray level sub-fields to be more than twice the sustain voltage.  
   
   
       21 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the low gray level sub-fields are the sub-fields from the sub-field having the lowest number of sustain pulses to the sub-field that comes fourth in the order where the sub-field in which the number of sustain pulses supplied in a sustain period is lowest comes first among the sub-fields of the frame.  
   
   
       22 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the low gray level sub-fields are the sub-fields in which a number of sustain pulses is equal to or less than ½ of the total number of sustain pulses of the sub-field in which the highest number of sustain pulses are supplied in a sustain period are supplied among the sub-fields of the frame.  
   
   
       23 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the low gray level sub-fields are the sub-fields in which a number of sustain pulses is equal to or less than 20% of the total number of sustain pulses of one frame are supplied.  
   
   
       24 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the reset pulse controller irregularly arranges the sub-fields comprised in the frame in the order of the magnitudes of gray level values.  
   
   
       25 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the reset pulse controller sets the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of at least-one sub-fields among the sub-fields comprised in the frame to fall with a slope after maintaining a positive voltage of a predetermined magnitude.  
   
   
       26 . An apparatus for driving a plasma display panel comprising scan electrodes, the apparatus comprising: 
 a driver driving the scan electrodes; and    a reset pulse controller controlling the driver to set the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of low gray level sub-fields among the sub-fields of one frame to be more than the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of the remaining sub-fields.    
   
   
       27 . A plasma display panel comprising scan electrodes, wherein the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of the low gray level sub-fields among the sub-fields of one frame are more than the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of the remaining sub-fields.  
   
   
       28 . A plasma display apparatus comprising: 
 a plurality of scan electrodes; and    controller setting the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of the low gray level sub-fields among the sub-fields of one frame to be more than the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of the remaining sub-fields.    
   
   
       29 . A plasma display apparatus comprising a plurality of scan electrodes formed in a top surface panel and a driver applying driving pulses to the scan electrodes, wherein the driver sets the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of low gray level sub-fields among the sub-fields of one frame to be more than the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of the remaining sub-fields.  
   
   
       30 . A method of driving a plasma display apparatus comprising scan electrodes, wherein the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of low gray level sub-fields among the sub-fields of one frame are more than the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of the remaining sub-fields.  
   
   
       31 . A plasma display apparatus comprising: 
 a plasma display panel comprising scan electrodes;    a driver driving the scan electrodes; and    a reset pulse controller controlling the driver to set the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of the high gray level sub-fields among the sub-fields of one frame to be less than the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of the remaining sub-fields.    
   
   
       32 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the reset pulse controller sets the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of the high gray level sub-fields to be more than the sustain voltage and less than twice the sustain voltage.  
   
   
       33 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the reset pulse controller makes the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of at least one sub-fields among the sub-fields comprised in the frame fall with a slope after maintaining a positive voltage of a predetermined magnitude.  
   
   
       34 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 33 , the sub-fields in which the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods fall with a slope after maintaining a positive voltage of a predetermined magnitude are the high gray level sub-fields.  
   
   
       35 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the high gray level sub-fields are the sub-fields from the sub-field having the highest number of sustain pulses to the sub-field that comes fourth in the order where the sub-field in which the number of sustain pulses supplied in a sustain period is highest comes first among the sub-fields of the frame.  
   
   
       36 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the high gray level sub-fields are the sub-fields in which a number of sustain pulses is equal to or more than ½ of the total number of sustain pulses of the sub-field in which the highest-number of sustain pulses are supplied in a sustain period are supplied among the sub-fields of the frame.  
   
   
       37 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the high gray level sub-fields are the sub-fields in which a number of sustain pulses is equal to or more than 20% of the total number of sustain pulses of one frame are supplied.  
   
   
       38 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the reset pulse controller irregularly arranges the sub-fields comprised in the frame in the order of the magnitudes of the gray level values.  
   
   
       39 . An apparatus for driving a plasma display panel comprising scan electrodes, the apparatus comprising: 
 a driver driving the scan electrodes; and    a reset pulse controller controlling the driver to set the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of high gray level sub-fields among the sub-fields of one frame to be less than the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of the remaining sub-fields.    
   
   
       40 . A plasma display panel comprising scan electrodes, wherein the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of the high gray level sub-fields among the sub-fields of one frame are less than the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of the remaining sub-fields.  
   
   
       41 . A plasma display apparatus comprising: 
 a plurality of scan electrodes; and    controller setting the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of high gray level sub-fields among the sub-fields of one frame to be less than the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of the remaining sub-fields.    
   
   
       42 . A plasma display apparatus comprising a plurality of scan electrodes formed in a top surface panel and a driver applying driving pulses to the scan electrodes, wherein the driver sets the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of high gray level sub-fields among the sub-fields of one frame to be less than the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in -the reset periods of the remaining sub-fields.  
   
   
       43 . A method of driving a plasma display apparatus comprising scan electrodes, wherein the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of high gray level sub-fields among the sub-fields of one frame are less than the magnitudes of the reset pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the reset periods of the remaining sub-fields.  
   
   
       44 . A plasma display apparatus comprising: 
 a plasma display panel comprising scan electrodes;    a driver driving the scan electrodes; and    a scan pulse controller controlling the driver to set the width of the scan pulses applied to one or more scan electrode group among a plurality of scan electrode groups comprising the one or more scan electrodes in one or more sub-fields of one frame in the order of scanning to be different from the width of the scan pulses applied to the remaining scan electrode groups.    
   
   
       45 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 44 , wherein the scan pulse controller makes one or more scan electrodes group among the plurality of scan electrode groups comprise a plurality of scan electrodes and makes the plurality of scan electrodes comprised in the scan electrode group continuously scanned.  
   
   
       46 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 44 , 
 wherein the plurality of scan electrode groups comprise a first scan electrode group and a second electrode group that is scanned later than the first scan electrode group, and    wherein the width of the scan pulses applied to the first scan electrode group is narrower than the width of the scan pulses applied to the second electrode group.    
   
   
       47 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 44 , wherein the scan pulse controller sets the number of scan electrodes no less than  2  and no more than the total number of scan electrodes.  
   
   
       48 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 44 , wherein the scan pulse controller ensures that each of the scan electrode groups comprise the same number of scan electrodes.  
   
   
       49 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 44 , wherein the scan pulse controller ensures that one or more of the scan electrode groups comprise a number of scan electrodes that is different from the number of scan electrodes of the remaining scan electrode groups.  
   
   
       50 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 44 , wherein the scan pulse controller applies scan pulses of the same width to all of the scan electrodes comprised in the same scan electrode group.  
   
   
       51 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 44 , wherein the scan pulse controller sets a difference in width between any two scan pulses that are used for scanning of any two continuous scan electrode groups to be the same as the difference in width between other two scan pulses that are used for scanning of other two continuous scan electrode groups.  
   
   
       52 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 44 , wherein the scan pulse controller sets a difference in width between any two scan pulses that are used for scanning of any two continuous scan electrode groups to be different from the difference in width between other two scan pulses that are used for scanning of other two continuous scan electrode groups.  
   
   
       53 . An apparatus for driving a plasma display panel comprising scan electrodes, the apparatus comprising: 
 a driver driving the scan electrodes; and    a scan pulse controller controlling the driver to set the width of the scan pulses applied to one or more scan electrode group among a plurality of scan electrode groups comprising the one or more scan electrodes in one or more sub-fields of one frame in the order of scanning to be different from the width of the scan pulses applied to the remaining scan electrode groups.    
   
   
       54 . A plasma display panel comprising scan electrodes, wherein the width of the scan pulses applied two one or more scan electrode group among a plurality of scan electrode groups comprising the one or more scan electrodes in one or more sub-fields of one frame in the order of scanning is different from the width of the scan pulses applied to the remaining scan electrode groups.  
   
   
       55 . A method of driving a plasma display apparatus comprising scan electrodes, wherein the width of the scan pulses applied to one or more scan electrode group among a plurality of scan electrode groups comprising the one or more scan electrodes in one or more sub-fields of one frame in the order of scanning is different from the width of the scan pulses applied to the remaining scan electrode groups.  
   
   
       56 . A plasma display apparatus comprising: 
 a plasma display panel comprising scan electrodes;    a driver driving the scan electrodes; and    a scan pulse controller controlling the driver to control the widths of the scan electrodes applied to the scan electrodes in one or more sub-fields of one frame in accordance with an average picture level (APL).    
   
   
       57 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 56 , wherein the scan pulse controller sets the widths of the scan pulses applied to the scan electrodes in the same sub-field to be the same.  
   
   
       58 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 56 , wherein the scan pulse controller sets the widths of the scan pulses of low gray level sub-fields among the sub-fields to increase as the APL decreases.  
   
   
       59 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 58 , wherein the scan pulse controller makes the widths of the scan pulses of the remaining sub-fields excluding the low gray level sub-fields to decrease as the APL decreases.  
   
   
       60 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 58 , wherein the scan pulse controller sets the low gray level sub-fields to be plural and sets the widths of the scan pulses of the plurality of low gray level sub-fields to be the same.  
   
   
       61 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 58 , wherein the scan pulse controller sets the low gray level sub-fields to be plural and sets the width of the scan pulses of one or more of the plurality of low gray level sub-fields to be different from the width of the scan pulses of the remaining low gray level sub-fields.  
   
   
       62 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 58 , wherein the low gray level sub-fields are the sub-fields having a number of sustain pulses that is equal to or less than 20% of the number of sustain pulses of the sub-field having the highest number of sustain pulses in one frame.  
   
   
       63 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 56 , wherein the scan pulse controller sets the widths of the scan pulses of high gray level sub-fields among the sub-fields to increase according as the APL of the frame increases.  
   
   
       64 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 63 , wherein the widths of the scan pulses of the remaining sub-fields excluding the high gray level sub-fields decreases.  
   
   
       65 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 63 , wherein the scan pulse controller sets the high gray level sub-fields to be plural and sets the widths of the scan pulses of the plurality of high gray level sub-fields to be the same.  
   
   
       66 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 63 , wherein the scan pulse controller sets the high gray level sub-fields to be plural and sets the width of the scan pulses of one or more of the plurality of high gray level sub-fields to be different from the width of the scan pulses of the remaining high gray level sub-fields.  
   
   
       67 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 63 , wherein the high gray level sub-fields are the sub-fields having a number of sustain pulses that is equal to or more than 20% of the total number of sustain pulses supplied in one frame.  
   
   
       68 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 56 , wherein the scan pulse controller sets the difference in width between the scan pulses of continuous two sub-fields having scan pulses of different widths among the sub-fields of the frame to be the same.  
   
   
       69 . The plasma display apparatus as claimed in  claim 56 , wherein the scan pulse controller sets the difference in width between the scan pulses of continuous two sub-fields having scan pulses of different widths among the sub-fields of the frame to vary.  
   
   
       70 . An apparatus for driving a plasma display panel comprising scan electrodes, the apparatus comprising: 
 a driver driving the scan electrodes; and    a scan pulse controller controlling the driver to control the widths of the scan pulses applied to the scan electrodes in one or more sub-field of one frame in accordance with an APL.    
   
   
       71 . A plasma display panel comprising scan electrodes, wherein the widths of the scan pulses applied to the scan electrodes are controlled in one or more sub-field of one frame in accordance with an APL.  
   
   
       72 . A method of driving a plasma display apparatus comprising scan electrodes, wherein the widths of the scan pulses applied to the scan electrodes are controlled in one or more sub-field of one frame in accordance with an APL.